block



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

J.H.BLOOIK.

PIANO.

Patented Aug. 31,1897.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. BLOCK.

PIANO.

(No Model.)

No. 589,331. Patented Aug. 81; 1897.

INVENTOH WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

the damper.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS II. BLOCK, OF MOSCOIV, RUSSIA.

PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,331, dated August31, 1897.

Application filed June 8, 1896. Serial No. 594,675. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern Be it known that I, JULIUS II. BLOCK, ofMoscow, Russia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPianos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide oer-- tain new and usefulimprovements in upright and square pianos whereby the power and volumeof tone are greatly increased, lightness of touch is obtained, and theundesirable springs in the action as now employed are entirely dispensedwith. I

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the improvement arranged forupright pianos and with the key and hammer at rest. Fig. 2 is a likeview of the same wit-l1 parts in a different position. Fig. 3 is a likeview of the same with the damper thrown off the strings by the pedal.Fig. 4c is a rear face view of Fig. 5 is a sectional front elevation ofthe improvement on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan view of thehammerrail and adjacent parts, and Fig. 7 is a sectional side elevationof the improvement as arranged for grand pianos.

On the key-frame A of an upright piano are mounted in the usual mannerthe keys 1 each provided between its pivot and extreme rear end and onthe top with a recess through which passes transversely a pivot-pin B,into which fits the lower end of a vertically-disposed jack 0, having ahorizontally-extending weight 0 and provided at its upper end with awedge-shaped head 0 guided in a forked guideway D, secured to the frontof the ha1nn1er-rail E, as plainly shown in the drawings.

The extreme upper end of the jack 0 is provided with an angularprojection C normally engaging a felted shoulder F on the butt-end ofthe hammer F, adapted to sound the strings G, said hammer beingfulcrumed 011 a bracket H, secured to the top of the hammer-rail E. Thehammer F is provided near its lower end with a forwardlyextendingweighted arm F adapted to normally hold the hammer F away from thestrings and in engagement with a felted rail I, as indicated in Figs. 1and 3.

The free end of the weighted arm F is provided at its under side with afelted rest or shoulder F adapted to be engaged by the felted front face0' of the projection 0 (See Fig. 2.) The forwardly-swinging motion ofthe jack 0 is limited by a felted rest J, located below the rest I andwhich, like the rest I, is secured to the sides of the piano-frame.

The hammer F has its arm F extended in wardly and formed with a feltedprojection F adapted to engage the under side of an arm K, projectingfrom the butt-end of a damper K, normally in contact with thecorresponding string G. The arm K is weighted, as at K so that when thehammer F is thrown inward toward the string G then the projection F 011leaving the under side of the arm K permits the weight K to swing thedamper K out of engagement with the string G, as illustrated in Fig. 2.Part of the 1111- der side of the arm K is felted, as at K to permit thearm to rest easily on the bracket 11 at the time the damper K is off thestrings.

The damper K is fulcrumed on a bracket L, secu red to the damper-rail N,fitted to slide vertically on the rear face of the hammer-rail E, andsaid damperrail N is provided with a downwardly-extending rod N, set ina recess in a plate 0, fulcrumed to the rear end of the key-frame A, asis plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This plate 0 is connected byadownwardly-extending rod P with one of the podals, so that when thepedal is pressed an upward-swinging motion is given to the plate 0, andconsequently the damper-rail N is moved vertically on the hammer-rail Eto the position shown in Fig. 3. In shifting the damper-rail N in thismanner the arm K of the damper K is raised sufficiently to permit theweight K of said arm to impart a forwardswinging motion to the damperand cause the latter to disengage the string G, so that all the dampersare thrown off by the operator actuating the pedal.

\Vhen the several parts are at rest, as illustrated in Fig. I, and thekey 13 is pressed by the operator executing the music, the rear upwardly-movin g end of the key causes a lifting of the jack 0, so that theprojection C of the jack by being in contact with the shoulder F impartsa swinging motion to the hammer in the direction of the arrow a, so thatthe hammer sounds the string G. As the jack 0 moves upward its wedge-shaped head C by being in engagement with the felted part of theguide I) causes a forward swinging of the jack, whereby the projection Gis finally moved off the shoulder F, and consequently the contact of thesaid projection with the butt-end of the hammer ceases at the time thehammerfelt is within a short distance of the string G, when thepropelling force of the jack ceases and the last part of the stroke ofthe hammer is by its inertia. hen the projection 0 slides off the feltedshoulder. I it moves in engagement with the felted shoulder F As soon asthe key B is released and the rear end swings downward then the jack 0returns to its normal position (shown in Fig. I) by the action of theweighted arm C on the jack.

When the hammer F commences to swing toward the string, as abovedescribed, the projection F in releasing the arm K permits the damper Kto swing out of engagement with the string by the action of the weight Kon the said arm, and when the hammerF returns from the string, as aboveexplained, then the projection F presses on the arm K in a downwarddirection to again move the damper K in engagement with the string. Thusit will be seen that by the arrangement described the jack, the hammer,and the damper return to their normal positions by their own gravity orby the action of other parts engaging them, and consequently no springsof any kind are necessary. The entire arrangement is so balanced thatthe slightest touch of the key will actuate the hammer and damper, sothat great lightness of touch is readily acquired by the performer.

As previously mentioned, all the dampers K may be simultaneously thrownoff the strings by the operator pressing one of the pedals. In this casethe arm K does not move out of e11- gagement with the projection F, asshown in Fig. 3.

For grand pianos the arrangement is similar to the one above describedin reference to upright pianos and as. illustrated in Fig. 7. In thiscase, however, the rests for the hammer and jack are combined in asingle felted rail I, supported from the keyboard-frame A. The keys ]3carry the weighted jacks C guided in guides D and engaging shoulders onthe butt-ends of the hammers F fulcrumed on brackets II, secured to thehammer-rail E.

On the rear end of each key B is secured a felted stop Q, adapted toform a rest for the hammer-felt at the time the key swings backward toits normal position. Otherwise the action is the same as above describedin reference to upright pianos.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. I11 a piano-action, apivoted damper providedwith a forwardly-extending arm or projection, a hammer provided with aprojection extending rcarwardly under the said arm of the damper, andhaving a sliding engagement therewith, and means for throwing the hammeragainst the string, substantially as shown.

2. A piano-action, comprising a key, a jack pivotally connected withsaid key and having a weighted arm, a wedge-shaped head and an inclinedprojection, and a weighted hammer having on its butt-end a shoulderadapted to be engaged by said projection, substantially as shown anddescribed. A piano-action, comprising a key, a jack pivotally connectedwith said key and having a weighted arm, a wedge-shapedhead and aninclined projection, a weighted hammer having on its butt-end a shoulderadapted to be engaged by said projection, and a forked guide for thehead of said jack, to impart a swinging motion to the jack on its upwardmovement, to disengage the projection from said shoulder, substantiallyas shown and described.

A piano-action, provided with a gravitydamper, and a gravity-armnormally holding said damper on the strings, the hammer on its forwardstroke releasing said damper and permitting the latter to move by itsown weight out of engagement with the strings, substantially as shownand described.

5. Apiano-action, provided with hammers, a damper-rail, and damperssupported on said rail and normally pressed in contact with the stringsby the hammers while the latter ar in an inactive position, said damperson the rearward stroke of the hammers moving out of engagement with thestrings by their own gravity,substantiallyas shown and described.

6. A piano-action, provided with a movable damper-rail, andgravity-dampers pivoted on said rail and normally held 011 the stringsby the hammers while at rest, said dampers moving out of engagement withthe strings by their own gravity on the lifting of said damper-rail,substantially as shown and described.

7. A piano-action, provided with a hammer having a weighted butt-end,and a pivoted damper having a weighted arm engaged by a projection onthe butt-end of said hammer, to hold said damper on the strings whilethe hammer is at rest or inactive, substantially as shown and described.

8. A piano-action, provided with a hammer is at rest or inactive, ahammer-rail mounted to slide and carrying the dampers, and means,substantially as described, for imparting a sliding motion to saiddamper-rail from one of the pedals, substantially as shown anddescribed.

9. In apiano-aetion, a pivoted damper arranged to move out of contactwith the string when released, and provided with a forwardlyextendingarm or projection, a hammer pro- Vided with a projection extendingrearwardly under said damper-arm to press said arm upward while thehammer is at rest, an d thereby hold the damper against the string, theprojection of the hammer having a sliding engagement with thedamper-arm, and means for actuating the hammer to release the damper,substantially as described.

10. A piano-action,provided with a damper- JULIUS H. BLOCK.

\Vitnesscs:

WILLIAM HORSOHJED, A HEHMANN.

